Army of One
by brokenxinsanity
Summary: Claire Danvers returns to Beacon Hills, tracking a pack of alphas and their leader, the same pack that has been terrorizing Derek and Scott. She runs into the gang and soon enough, Beacon Hills become a battleground once again. Deucalion declares war and in the battle, realizes that the best way to get Derek on his side is to use his weakness against him - Claire. *Derek/OC.
1. Back with a Vengeance

Every faction conditions its members to think and act a certain way. And most people do it. For most people, it's not hard to learn, to find a pattern of thought that works and stay that way. But our minds move in a dozen different directions. We can't be confined to one way of thinking, and that terrifies our leaders. _It means we can't be controlled._

You either hang on to your morals and die or do whatever it takes to survive.

That was what she was always told.

So why did it feel like she was losing herself?

Derek Hale was her protector - not that she needed one, anyway - but he had always been there for her. And then the Hale family fire happened and she saw Derek change. He became distant with her. Claire was 22 years old, a year younger than Derek, they were best friends, their mother's raised them together in the same neighborhood, until her mother died because of an alpha..

A pack of Alphas, to be exact.

Which is exactly why Claire was back in Beacon Hills - because she had tracked them here.

_"You sure he's in Beacon Hills?"_

"Positive." The dark haired girl replied into the phone as she got out of the Maserati. _"Duncan said they were still here."_

_"I really hate that big mouthed geek."_

The dark haired girl chuckled. "You're just upset that I didn't bring you with."

_"That too. Just be careful - there's a lot of stuff going down in that freakshow town."_

"Yes father."

_"Claire."_

"Relax, Feliz, I can take of myself."

_"He better be worth it for me to allow my baby sister to go to a town that is riddled with supernatural freaks."_

"First of all, I didn't ask for your permission and second, you're forgetting that we are some of those supernatural freaks."

There was a sigh on the other end of the phone. Claire laughed and snapped the cellphone shut, through it into the driver's seat through the open window. Night had fallen quickly, Claire noted as she glanced around the small town of Beacon Hills. She wondered where she should start her search for Derek Hale.

It really didn't take long to find the old Hale Manor. The fire had done it's part - kill the innocent people and take the life from the Manor, too. It was sad, her memories of the house that was once filled with joy and laughter was now covered with ash.

_If we forget who we lost, then we forget who we once were, and if we forget who we once were, we lose sight of who we are now._

She remembered Laura, the elder Hale sibling, the one that was popular as all hell on earth. Laura didn't like Claire so much, always thought Claire was bad for Derek. She remembered what happened that night, six years ago. Claire had found out the plan about Kate and the fire, tried to stop her, but end up getting shot with wolfsbane and tortured to a point where she thought she might never live to see another day.

The leaves crunched just behind her and she could feel her heart hammer against her chest.

"Who are you?"

She turned around to see three boys.

Raising an eyebrow, Claire wondered who they could be. "Who are you?"

"We asked you first." The sandy brown haired boy said.

"I'm -"

"Claire?"

She looked up and peered behind the three boys, where the voice came from.

The past doesn't change no matter how much time you spend thinking about it. Good and bad all add up to the whole. Take away one piece, no matter how small, and the whole changes. Whether it's optimism, pessimism or fatalism, She didn't spend her time wishing for the past to be different so present would be different, too. She controlled her future with what she chose now.

You never really realize how thick your fog was until it lifed.

"Derek." Claire pushed her way through the boys and was very well aware of their eyes following her every move. She didn't care. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nearly hugged the life out of him.

Derek had hugged her back.

Her knees nearly buckled when he did.

"Where have you been?"

"I've been tracking a pack, tracked them all here, to Beacon Hills."

"An Alpha pack, by any chance?" the same sandy blonde that spoke earlier asked.

Claire nodded.

"Claire, this is Isaac, Scott and Stiles."

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, what do you guys think? Should I continue this? Reviews would be awesome!**


	2. Cry Werewolf

"So who is she?" Isaac asked.

"An old friend." Derek replied.

They were at Derek's loft. Stiles, Scott, Isaac, Derek and Claire.

"An old friend? What kind of old friend?" Stiles asked.

"Boys, you do know I can hear you, right?" Claire raised an eyebrow, looking up from her book. Snapping the book shut, Claire walked over to the table that everyone was gathered around. She leaned on the table, her nails tapping against the wood. Claire looked up at Stiles and smirked. "Old friend, Stiles, as in we used to roll in the grass together." She glanced up at Derek and then back at Stiles as she straightened up. "Still do, matter of fact."

She turned away from the faces of Isaac, Scott and Stiles, laughing.

The door to the loft opened and Peter walked in, Claire looked up, disdain on her face.

"Ah, Claire Danvers, here I thought you were dead."

There was an audible _CRACK! _and then an audible _Oooh! _from Stiles, Scott and Isaac. Peter held his jaw, while Claire shook her hand. "And I flunked anger management. You might want to keep that in mind."

"Good to know." Peter winced.

Scott, Stiles and Isaac looked at Derek, who held a smirk on his face. He looked over at Claire and she knew it, too, because she looked up just a moment after. A grin pulled at her lips.

The guys would never know what that was for.

But they did.

"I remember you being a brunette the last time I saw you - I don't like it black." Peter continued, looking her up and down. Claire narrowed her eyes. "And I don't like your head attached to your shoulders. Guess we can't all have what we want, huh?"

"Now I see why you two are friends." Stiles noted.

Derek gave him a deadpan look.

"He's right. She's like the female version of you."

Derek snapped his head toward Scott.

"A less hairy version of you." Isaac added.

Derek gave them a look that could have killed.

"So, where's Deucalion and how do I kill him?" Claire asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a suicide mission."

"And your point is?"

"You're not going alone."

"Who said I was alone?" Claire retorted. "I have Feliz and Duncan looking out for me."

"Feliz." Derek's eyes narrowed.

"Who's Feliz?" Isaac asked.

"He's my brother." Claire said. "Duncan is my other brother. Feliz likes to treat me like I'm the baby... even though I can kick their asses with my claws tied behind me. Derek doesn't like him."

"Okay, but why doesn't Derek like him?" Scott asked.

"Because, Laura Hale didn't like the fact that Derek and I ... well, that's another story for another time, but Laura and Feliz were the older, more protective siblings. Duncan was the one that could care less, but was still protective. Still think Laura and Feliz dated..."

"They did."

Claire raised an eyebrow at Derek. "I knew it." She looked at the rest of them. "Anyway, Derek and Feliz got into one day when ... uh..."

"When I got caught by the Argents." Derek explained, looking up at Claire, "If I remember right, you walked into a hail of gunfire and nearly died in the process."

Claire shrugged. "What's life without a little danger."

"Claire."

"Derek." Claire retorted. "You were equally just as dumb as I was for saving your ass - you and Kate should have never been together, because she played you like a game of chess."

"Kate? Kate Argent?" Scott asked.

"Mhm." Claire nodded. "You don't knock on the devil's door, unless you want him to answer. And Derek had signed his soul over to her."

Nothing is ever truly set by fate. In one blink, everything changes. Even though it should be a clear, sunny day, the softest whisper into the wind can become a hurricane that destroys everything it touches. In the blink of an eye, Derek had Claire by the throat, pinned against the wall.

"What are you going to do, Derek? We're equally matched." Claire dug her nails in his forearm.

"Derek! Let her go!" Scott yelled.

"No, let him go." She turned her eyes on Derek. "I don't despise you for what happened to me, because I would have gladly died a thousand times to save your life. I despise you because when I was released, you refused to be found and I needed you more than anything in my life. Not to mend my broken bones, Derek. I needed my best friend to mend my broken spirit."

There came a time in everyone's life when they realized that in spite of how hard they'd been running from themselves, everywhere they went, there they were: Addictions and compulsions were nothing but marching bands of distraction, masking truths that were unpleasant, but ultimately undeniable.

He was truly handicapped when it came to emotions, and falling in love hadn't changed that.

Derek released Claire and started to walk away.

Claire wasn't having it.

"This isn't over," She said. "After everything we've been through, you don't get the right to brush me off. I'm not letting you off that easily." She wasn't sure if it was a threat, her last stab at defiance, or irrational words spoken straight from her splintered heart. Anything was better than nothing. Half-full was better than empty. Ignorance was the lowest form of humiliation and suffering. A feeling of violation swayed inside her, making her feel as if she'd been shoved off a high platform without warning.

She was falling, and she feared the sensation far more than hitting bottom. There was no end; just a constant sense of gravity having its way with her. There's a disconnect between her mind and her heart, but she feels the truth. They say when people lose their vision, their hearing comes sharper. She's lost part of her memory but maybe her intuition is stronger.

His were the kind of eyes that held secrets. The kind that lied without flinching. The kind that once you looked into them, it was hard to break away. She couldn't escape him, now or ever. He'd always be there, consuming her every thought, her heart locked in his hands. She was drawn to him by forces she couldn't control, let alone escape. Right now, she had everything she could ask for. It wasn't a long list, but it was a very satisfying one, starting with the love of her life back in her arms.

Derek didn't turn around.

"Damnit, Derek! Stop!" Claire grabbed him by the arm and with her weight, spun him around to face her.

"I know you still blame yourself, but look at me, I'm still here. I'm still standing. What I did, I did on my own. Feliz is an overprotective jerk that needs to get off his high horse. Will you stop blaming yourself?"

"I can't." Derek turned and yanked his arm free before walking away.

"What was that about?"

"Six years ago, after the Hale fire, Derek was captured by Kate, tortured. I hated her guts so I tracked him down and she put about 40 mountain ash and wolfsbane laced bullets in me. Feliz blames Derek and Derek blames himself. The worst wounds, the deadliest of them, aren't the ones people see on the outside. They're the ones that make us bleed internally. It's a longer story, for another day." She left Scott, Stiles, Peter and Isaac, following where Derek went.

She found him on the roof.

"Derek..."

Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for Christ's sake, stop sending him signals that they were right for each other. He'd read that book, seen the movie, bought the soundtrack, the DVD, the T-shirt, the mug, the bobble-head, and the insider's guide. He knew every reason they could have been lock and key. But just as he was aware of all that aligned them, he was even clearer on how they were damned to be ever apart.

"Can you please talk to me?"

Her face came into view when Claire bent down in front of him.

"The last time you ever snapped on me like that, was when you buried Laura. What triggered this time?"

"I wasn't mad at you. I just have a bad habit of lashing out at those I care about. It's a piss poor excuse, I know, but I am sorry."

Claire shrugged and then moved his arms so that she could sit on his lap. Instinctively, Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. Just like old times. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

She gets a man who will love her completely and faithfully. She gets a man who will not only save her life, but lay down his own to keep her safe. He will provide for her no matter the cost, he will shelter her against all storms that come their way, he will be the one to bring a smile to her face when no one else can. She gets a friend, a lover, a mate, the only man in this world who can complete her and give her the other half of her soul.

And that person was Derek, whether he wanted it to be or not. He was stuck with her.

"Are you scared of me?" He muttered gently against her neck.

Claire shook her head, but that was a task in itself, with his hot breath against her neck.

* * *

**Author's Note: ... I'm _attempting_ to make the chapters to this story super long, so I apologize if there's a bit of a wait in between. It's a lot to write and figure out. Reviews are welcome, though! :)**


	3. Retribution

Claire kept her pace with Isaac and Scott, feet pounding the ground as they ran as fast as they could. Trying to outrun alphas was a feat in itself. Trying to do it while making sure dumb and dumber didn't trip? That was a different story. Scott and Isaac were at school when the alpha twins decided they were going to play hide and seek. Claire only managed to not to hit Scott when he ran in front of Derek's Camaro. And now, they were running - the hunted.

"We split up!"

Claire didn't bother to wait for the two of them to protest as she sped up, running straight, jumping over fallen logs in the process. She faintly heard Scott and Isaac go right and left. She kept running, her chest heaving and she flicked off her shoes. Better running meant you had to lose your shoes. It was better than being dead.

She skidded to a halt and nearly ran into one of the double mint twins. Her mind screamed _SHIT! _and she quickly side stepped the flea infested mutt.

"You're mine now."

It had been good to see her enemy again. Positively heartwarming. Hallmark really needed to start up a line of revenge cards. She was sure she'd be sending and receieving a lot of them.

"Aren't you the gay one?" She raised an eyebrow, defiant.

She saw his eyes flash anger. But that still didn't stop her.

"One of these days your mouth is going to write a check that your cute little ass can't cash."

"Oh, don't worry fur ball, I plan to be writing that check out in your name." Claire retorted, kicking _Thing One _right in the chest.

She took off not a moment later, gaining some speed. She thought she had lost him. But that wasn't the case this time. She felt the claws dig into her side, ripping and tearing the skin. Her legs gave out and she fell face first into the grass. Using her arms to push herself over, Claire looked into the faces of Dumb and Dumber. Either that or she was just seeing double.

"I think I declare this as a victory." Thing Two spoke first.

"I don't think so!" She looked up to see Scott and Isaac, their leaping forms landing right in front of her, blocking her from the twins. Claire fought to get to her feet, stumbling as she held on to her side.

"You haven't won." Claire spoke with defiance. "Tell Deucalion that I have a score to settle with him and if I have to go through his pack, that's just what I'll do." She grabbed the gun that was hidden underneath her shirt and fired the whole clip into both of them.

"RUN!"

"Can you ru-"

"I said _run_." Claire pushed them both into a run.

The mountain ash laced bullets wouldn't hold them for long, but it would be long enough to get them back to Derek's. She hoped. Right now, hope was all she had.

When they did manage to get back to Derek's, Isaac was nearly carrying Claire with the way he had been supporting her. Derek's eyes met hers as soon as the door open. If it wasn't for Scott and Isaac, she would've fallen to her knees.

"What happened?"

"Alpha twins - they chased us into the woods." Derek took Claire's limp body and laid her on the table.

"Claire, can you hear me?" Derek lifted her shirt to reveal four deep gashes in her side.

"You can see her ribs." Scott looked horrified.

"She'll heal."

"She'll heal? Derek have you lost your mind?!"

"She's an Alpha!" Derek growled. "She's a werewolf by birth - just like me."

Scott looked at him, still horrified. So that's what Claire meant by still being shot with mountain ash and wolfsbane laced bullets. How had he not figured it out already?

She was one of them.

Derek's hands clamped down on her side that was torn open, with all his strength, he broke each rib on that side. There was a sickening _CRACK! _with each bone and both Scott and Isaac winced.

Claire brought them all out of their thoughts by sucking in a breath.

"Derek.."

"I'll yell at you later." Derek lifted her off the table, wincing slightly at the cry of pain that left her lips. He gently set her down on the couch and pulled the coffee table closer so that he could sit on it.

"Where were you two?!"

"Don't - don't blame them." Claire rested her hand against his arm. "I -I told them we should..." She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. "...split up."

"They would have torn her to shreds if we hadn't gotten there when we did." Isaac threw in.

Derek didn't seem to notice, he kept his gaze on Claire, her hand going limp from his arm.

"She gonna be okay?" Scott asked.

"She needs a few days to heal."

Sometimes IVs and pills weren't always the best course of treatment for the injured. Sometimes all you needed was the touch of the one you loved and the sound of their voice and the knowledge that you were home, and that was enough to drag you back from the brink.

And that's exactly what Derek's voice had done for her as her mind, body, and soul ushered her into a much needed resting.

When she finally awoke, it was darker than an apocalypse. She remembered fighting Thing One and Two, but what happened after that, her brain refused to let her remember. She carefully sat up and groaned.

"Easy. You're still healing."

Derek.

"You're really crazy, you know that?"

Claire chuckled despite her injuries, wincing none-the-less. "Crazy is such a misunderstood term. I like to think that I march to the beat of my own drummer."

Derek took up residence on the coffee table again. Women, they were tricky business. A man had to step carefully lest he find himself in a pit of despair, longing after the one he wants and getting nothing but scorn in return. What was it about her that drove him crazy? He'd never had such a wild and instantaneous reaction to a woman before.

Then again, she wasn't an ordinary woman.

Derek had reached over and pulled the blanket that he had covered her with away. It was healing - that much was true - but still it would take awhile.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking it would be better if they hurt me, rather than your pack."

Derek shook his head. "They can take care of themselves."

Life is a gamble, It's harsh and painful most of the time, and it's not for the timid. Spoils go to the victor, not to the one who doesn't even show up for the battle. Claire didn't care for her life if it meant she'd help someone else. It was one of her many faults that were going to lead to her downfall sooner or later. Her mother always said that our scars are there to remind us of out pasts, of where we've been and what we've gone through. But that pain doesn't have to drive or determine our future. We can rise about it if we let ourselves. It's not easy, but nothing in life ever is. This is what she must have meant.

"I'm going with Scott and Isaac to try and get Boyd and Cora under control. I'll lock the door, but I need you to stay here."

"Cora? Your sister, Cora?" Claire sat up straighter, wincing more. "I thought she was dead."

"See, I would have explained it to you had you not run off and got yourself torn up. Rest. I'm not kidding, Claire, I'll tie you to the couch if I have to." He stood, bending down to kiss her forehead.

"Promise?" She teased.

Derek rolled his eyes at her and left as Claire snuggled back under the covers. _Let the big bad alpha go into battle. Maybe it'll teach him a lesson, _her mind told her.

And that's what she was going to do.

* * *

**Author's Note: Another chapter and I'm getting excited again. Reviews are much appreciated, as you all know already. (:**


	4. Bad Moon Rising

As soon as the loft door opened, Claire was on her feet. It was painful, but it did her good - it meant she still felt. Isaac and Scott brought Boyd and Cora in, Claire noted. Derek followed close behind, his shirt torn up to a point where it was almost falling off him. Blood stained nearly every part of him. Claire went to run to him - to hug the life out of him for coming back, but her feet froze when she saw the woman that was hanging onto his hand. Her heart sunk painfully in her chest. She felt the pang of hurt and before she was seen, Claire snuck out of the door.

Isaac saw her though, because he followed her.

"Hey, wait."

Claire didn't want to stop, but she couldn't as she held on to her side.

_Damn wolfsbane to hell, _she thought.

Isaac had gently grabbed her arm. "Where are you going? You're still healing."

"I'm fine."

"Liar."

He had called her out on her bad acting. She liked Isaac, he didn't sugar coat things. From the few days that she'd known him, he wasn't so bad.

"What's really the matter?"

His gaze was on her, made her want to crack under pressure. She knew how bad it would be if she did crack.

Heaven help her. Those eyes, a world of possibilities to them.

_Stop, stop thinking about that!_ Her mind screamed at her.

"Claire?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, feeling like a complete and utter idiot. Shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the thoughts, she needed some air.

"I just need some air."

Fortunately for her, Isaac let her go. A part of her knew that he knew what was wrong because she could feel his eyes on the back of her head as she continued down the stairs and out of sight. When she reached outside, morning was just rolling up across the sky. She began her walk down the street, attempting to sort out any thoughts that might have still been coherent. Two blocks down and the next thing she knew, Isaac was running up next to her.

"I told you to leave me alone."

"And let you get hurt? Derek will have my head."

At the mention of his name, she felt the pang of hurt all over again. Maybe she was imagining things? Her own sick thoughts were taking over her mind, threatening their way in. She let them.

"It's about the teacher, isn't it?"

The teacher?

Claire stopped to look at Isaac, who stopped a few steps ahead.

"What?"

"The teacher - I saw the look you had on your face when Derek came back to the loft, that's the new teacher that he brought with him. She was stuck in the boiler room with Boyd and Cora when Derek went down there to stop them."

Still, that didn't stop the pang of hurt.

Why would Derek bring her to his place?

Since when did he care for innocent people?

She didn't seem hurt, why not just leave her there?

So many thoughts ran through her head that her head hurt.

Life's not easy for anyone. Everyone has scars they're afraid to show and we all get slammed headfirst into a proverbial locker from time to time by someone bigger and badder. She was a victim to her own thoughts, a prisoner to her own twisted mind.

"It's just... I've never seen Derek with another woman before."

"He cares about you, Claire." Isaac reassured her. "The night you were attacked by the alpha twins, he stayed next to the couch while you were passed out."

That didn't make the feeling go away.

Claire began walking again, hoping Isaac would get the picture.

He didn't.

He kept pace with her, keeping his gaze on her.

"Why are you here, talking to me?"

"I'm here because I know the sadness inside you. I know what it feels like to wake up, lost and lonely and aching for someone to be there with you. You can be quite transparent when you think no one can see."

_Damn him._

She heard Isaac's phone buzz in his pocket and he took it out, looking at the screen. Claire peeked over his shoulder and saw who it was.

"Don't answer it. Please." She pleaded.

Isaac answered it anyway.

"Derek."

"_Have you seen Claire?_" She could hear on the other line.

Isaac gave her a look that clearly said _I told you so._

Claire shook her head, mouthing _Please don't tell him I'm here._

There was a moment of silence. Then Isaac spoke and Claire was certain she was going to have a werewolf head on her wall.

"Yeah, she's right here. Hold on." He held the phone out to her with a smirk on his face.

She gave him a look that told him she hated his guts now. Taking a deep breath, Claire put the phone to her ear.

_"Where are you?"_

"Nowhere."

_"Why are you with Isaac?"_

"I'm not. He followed me. Just go help that teacher, Derek."

_"Wait, Claire-"_

She didn't bother hearing the rest as she hung up the phone. Handing it back to Isaac, she began walking away from him. She kept her pace fast, but Isaac still kept up with her.

"Would you just leave me alone?"

"No. Because I have a feeling you're thinking of doing something incredibly stupid and I've only known you for a few days."

"What do you care?"

"Because I see a broken woman underneath that hard outer shell."

"So what?" Claire spun around. "You claim to know all that and you've only known me for a few days. You know nothing about me."

Isaac raised an eyebrow at her. "...You really are just like Derek. No wonder you two get along so well."

Claire gave Isaac an evil look.

The world isn't fair. And no matter how good and decent you are, no matter how much you give to others, someone is always going to hate you for no other reason than the fact that you breathe. You can't help that. You can't change people or their minds once they've allowed them to get twisted by hatred. But you can change how you deal with them. Never back down, but walk away when you can, fight when you must. Whatever you do don't give them the power to hurt you. Don't let them inside you.

They're not worth it. Live your life for yourself. Stay true to yourself and if they can't see the beauty that is you, it's their loss. Let the bitterness take them to their graves. Spend your time on what matters most. Being you and appreciating the people who see you for who and what you are. The people who love you, and the ones that you love. They are all that matter. Let the rest go to hell.

It was something she was taught to live by. Something that was forced into her brain. It had only gotten worse when her mother was murdered. The world turned it's back on her, so she turned her back on the world.

"You could use some time off from the supernatural world." Isaac held out his arm for her to take. "How 'bout a movie?"

Claire narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing. Can't a guy ask a girl to a movie without needing a hidden agenda?"

Claire stood there, thinking about.

After a few moments, Isaac broke the silence. "My arm is not getting any lighter."

Claire shrugged inwardly. Why not? She needed something to take her mind off Derek and that teacher. And what they could be doing right at that very moment. Linking arms with Isaac, he led the way as they walked in silence, leaving each other to their own thoughts.

* * *

**Author's Note: Isaac and Claire? Going for a movie? Oh lord help me. I had fun writing this chapter. The teacher though, has something up her sleeve. Reviews are welcome. :)**


	5. No Mercy

Isaac wasn't bad, he was on his best behavior, surprisingly. The movie wasn't bad either, but mostly her thoughts had taken over as soon as the lights went out. Half way through the movie, Isaac had lent her his jacket. He must have noticed that she was cold. Typical stereotypes were that werewolves never got cold. That was such bullshit, too.

After the movie, they took another walk, talking. They talked about any and everything. It was nice, not having to worry about the supernatural side of things for a little bit. Isaac was a good distraction. When they arrived back at the loft, the place was in shambles.

"Cora?" Claire helped the girl to her feet. "What happened?"

"Alphas... they attacked." Cora held her head.

"Where's Derek and Scott?"

"Deucalion... he took them."

Claire's blood boiled. The whole point of life is learning to live with the consequences of the bad decision we've made. She knew she made a bad mistake, by allowing herself to forget the supernatural world, if even for a little bit.

She grabbed her jacket and pulled out the gun that she used to shoot the Alpha twins and reloaded the clip.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get settle my score with Deucalion." She snapped the clip into the gun and placed the gun underneath her shirt. It wouldn't last, but she could use all the help she could get. Grabbing her jacket, Isaac stopped her.

"I'm coming with."

* * *

Daylight had settled in quite nicely. Deucalion had what he needed to bring the girl to him. And then, he'd have Derek kill her. That was the plan, anyway. The girl was known for outrunning and outsmarting him at times. He heard the snarls and growls from behind him. His Alpha twins were currently having fun with the two idiots. It was good, hearing the groans of pain from both, a sick smirk covered Deucalion's lips.

The electricity sliced through their bodies, their muscles tightening. Their bodies couldn't keep this up much longer.

And luckily, they wouldn't have to.

He had heard her. She screamed, the high scream that was neither human nor animal but something terrible in between, the sort of sound that you never forget no matter how many beautiful things you hear afterward. She was terrifyingly deadly.

Scott's eyes were heavy, but somewhere, he saw a shadow figure.

"I was wondering how long it would take you." Deucalion smirked.

Her red eyes met his and hatred built up in her stomach. Violently her canines extended and she growled, giving into the blood lust. She could see Isaac's yellow eyes in the darkness, while she kept the attention on herself.

"You and I have a score to settle." Claire growled.

"What? Your mother? She was pathetic, easy to kill."

She went to charge at him, but was stopped by a hand against her throat. Looking up into the face, she realized that the face was familiar.

It was Feliz.

It dawned on her then, that Feliz was working with Deucalion. Of course, it would make sense, since he hated Derek's guts. She caught a glimpse of the teacher and everything fell into prospective.

They were all working together.

That thought alone made her even more pissed.

There are some things that sorry can't fix. Digging her claws into his chest, Claire threw Feliz off her, running on pure adrenaline. Thing One and Two were the next to step up to the plate.

"I can handle her." Deucalion said.

Claire nearly snorted in laughter. "If you or one of the blind fools who follows you honestly believe you can...bring it on. I'm in the mood for Slaughter. Killing and Murder, too." _Never take your eyes off your opponent. And never think you don't have to work for a victory._ Her mind told her. She was ready. It had been awhile since she'd fully given into the blood lust and now was a perfect time to do just that. The blood lust was brewing over the surface and Claire nearly lost her mind.

She charged at Deucalion, clawing and tearing at him. One of the twins threw her off and she collided with a stone wall, but that didn't stop her. Adrenaline pumped through her as she took on Feliz and the twins while Isaac helped Derek and Scott.

She had all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for rage and disgust. She felt lethal, on the verge of frenzy. Her mask of sanity was about to slip. Blood lust – the disease that makes us the monsters we are known to be; it is what wipes away the last of our humanity. She had slipped over the edge and now she was fighting for revenge.

She had managed to take down Deucalion, clawing and tearing, ripping his face apart with her claws. She didn't care. He killed her mother, murdered her in cold blood. It was about time the bastard got what was coming to him. Some had reached for her, pulling her off Deucalion. She fought against the body, the battle interrupted, blood lust was bottled up inside her, a turbo engine revved to redline.

"Claire!" Two more sets of hands held her down. "Don't fight your humanity!"

"Let me go! I want his blood on my hands!"

"It's already there!" The one that snarled at her grabbed her hands roughly and made her look at them. She realized then, that it was Derek. He was spattered with blood, breathing hard, head down, eyes narrowed, and fury was rolling off him in thick, dangerous waves. He took her face in his bloody hands and made her look at him.

Her breathing was ragged and heavy.

"Claire, take a deep breath."

She couldn't. Her body wouldn't let her.

"Breathe, Claire."

She forced herself to let go of the breath she'd been holding. Scott and Isaac let her go and went to deal with the bodies, leaving Derek alone with her. She hated crying. Tears were weaknesses that could be exploited and they never solved a damned thing. Sobs gathered in her chest like a rushing tide and she needed to get away from him before she broke.

Instead of fighting his grip, she tried to slide out of it. "I need to go," she said to his chest. "I need – "

His mouth closed over hers, hot and hungry, warming her mouth as his body warmed her body.

"Me," Derek said, his voice dark and gravelly as if it had traveled up from the bottom of the earth, his eyes bright. "You need me."

She was hearing the words. They just weren't registering on her Richter scale of sanity. Her mind had given up on trying to make sense of what just happened.

"Are you seriously going to make out on the blood soaked ground?" She heard Scott ask in the background. A deep chuckle rumbled in Derek's chest as Claire leaned her forehead against his.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"For what?"

"For saving me, again."

* * *

**Author's Note: So Derek and Scott aren't the only ones that's ill-tempered. Reviews are lovely and always appreciated! (:**


	6. Dark Side of Vengeance

_Stop. Revive. Survive. Rinse. Repeat._

After the events of the other night, everyone decided it was time for a much needed break. They all decided that one day away from the supernatural world would do them some good. She felt the bed move on the other side and soon Derek's face came into view, kissing her cheek. She didn't have a place to stay and Derek had offered his loft. She wanted to sleep on the couch. He wasn't having any of that.

Maybe it was just an over abundance of hormones, a response to a sexual starvation diet. She'd been without for so long that her body was craving the worst possible thing for her. Derek was carnal triple chocolate cheesecake, deep-fried on a stick. She forced her hands to stay underneath the pillow as his hand ran down her arm and rested on her side, his lips trailing feather light kisses from her cheek all the way down to the triskelion tattoo that was centered on back, much like Derek's.

She rolled over to face him and he pinned her down by placing the hand that was on her side next to her head. "Are you going to torture me all day?"

Green eyes stared into blue hues as Derek's lips lifted into a smirk.

"I was thinking about it."

"Figures." Claire groaned, throwing the pillow over her head.

She could hear the low growl in his throat and she knew she was in trouble. Slowly, his hands traveled from her thighs, all the way up to her sides and in a split second, he was forcing her into submission by tickling her. She writhed beneath him, trying to get away from him, but he held her petite, muscle frame down by his weight. He continued the onslaught for a good twenty minutes, until her ribs ached.

But still, Claire refused to give up. Derek remembered her stubbornness. She was the most difficult, the most stubborn woman that he'd ever known.

_And he falling for her again._

Claire stared up at him as he studied her face. She felt naked to him, even though she was very much clothed. One glance downward and she took in the cutest inny belly button she'd ever seen. And then his chest. Solid. Hard. Her heart beat to the sound of passion again. Derek bent down and claimed her lips.

And then they were interrupted by the sound of three people.

Derek growled deep in his chest.

He stood up, grabbing a button up from the closet. He put it on, but conveniently left it open for her to stare at.

"Let's go."

The sun spilling through the window hit his chest, making his bare skin look even more golden. Claire nearly had her way with him right then and there - screw the people that were in the other room.

"That's okay," She sputtered. "I don't want to tag along... I'll be in the way.."

"Yes, you do. Come on." He took her by her hands and pulled her up off the bed.

Oh great. Her gaze slipped down to his open shirt again. Was she going to have to look, or try not to look, at his chest all morning? "Then at least button your shirt." The words were out before she realised how that sounded. The disappointment in his eyes vanished and a sexy twinkle took its place. The twinkle brought out the gold flecks in his irises, which she used to admire so much.

She remembered when they were kids and he'd caught the rock that the bullies had thrown at her. At six, she'd considered him a hero.

At sixteen, she considered him a heartbreaker.

"Why?" he asked. "Does it bother you?"

She glared at him. "Don't go there."

He practically dragged her with him. At least he was dressed - she was in only a tank top and short shorts.

Stiles, Scott and Isaac were standing there, watching the two of them.

"What happened to peace and quiet?"

"Yeah, well, Stiles found something about that kid that was murdered at the pool."

This perked Claire's curiosity.

"They're human sacrifices." Stiles said, "_Virgin _human sacrifices."

It was going to be a very long and bat-shit crazy day. Some were spellbound, some were hell bound, some they fell down, and some got back up and fought back against the melt down. She wasn't sure which one she was going to do today after hearing that explanation.

"So do we know who's doing the killing?"

"No."

"Well that's great, you drag me out of bed just to tell me that someone is killing virgins." Claire left the boys to their discussion and took a seat on the couch, four pairs of eyes following her.

Isaac took a seat in front of her on the coffee table not but a moment later.

"You seem... stressed."

"Do I?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from each letter.

Isaac rested a hand on her knee. "What's wrong?"

Somehow, deep down, Isaac made her want to tell him, made her want to spill secrets that she kept buried. "The other night, I became blinded by what I thought I needed to do. I was wrong. I was stupid. But not for one minute did I not enjoy it."

"He killed your mother, it's normal."

"I'm tired of being the one that does the saving." Claire admitted. "When you and I went for that movie... I felt normal."

She felt like an idiot. She wasn't sure why she was feeling like this, but she was. She thought getting her revenge would be satisfying. But Claire couldn't shake the feeling of something, something she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I don't know what's going on." She racked a hand through her hair and stopped just below her neck. "Something... isn't right."

Isaac stood and brushed her hair aside. "Hey Derek, you might want to come and look at this."

Derek was there in two steps.

What everyone saw on the back of her neck was three puncture marks, the skin around the wounds were a deep black and blue, veins protruding.

"What the hell is that?" Stiles asked.

"Deucalion." Derek replied.

* * *

Author's Note: and so the mystery continues... dun dun dun. Reviews are always appreciated and a big thank you to those that have followed, reviewed and favorited this story. You guys make me smile! :)


	7. Dance with the Devil

"It's a sort of mind control. Think of it as that bullet I was shot with awhile ago... it infects the body and mind. It's an old ritual that I haven't seen for a long time." Derek paced back and forth, racking his brain for a solution. Somehow Deucalion had stuck his claws into Claire and now there was nothing to save her. Derek couldn't let that happen. Not when he just got her back. The more time they wasted, the more the poison spread to her body.

Whatever was happening to her, was happening quickly. In a matter of a couple hours, nearly her whole back was lined with angry black veins. Derek couldn't watch as she writhed under the pain. It hurt him. It pained him in a place that had been empty for so long. She was slowly deteriorating. They tried bleeding her out, attempting to get the poison out before it reached her heart, but it didn't work.

"What if we take her to him, make some kind of a bargain with Deucalion?"

"The only thing he wants is for me to kill my pack and join him."

"This might sound crazy, but what about wolfsbane?"

All eyes landed on Peter.

"Wolfsbane is meant to injury werewolves, not heal them."

"But it does counteract some poisons." Peter interjected.

Derek was willing to try anything at this point. Anything to get Claire back to her stubborn-ass-kicking ways.

"It's worth a try, Derek." Scott muttered.

"Let's do it."

An hour had passed and finally, Peter and Derek had gathered enough supplies. Derek sat on the couch, the barely conscious Claire leaned up against his chest on her side, his arms pinning her down. It was an uncomfortable position, but Derek would live. Isaac held down her ankles while Peter crushed up the wolfsbane. Stiles and Scott were the helpless ones.

"She's not going to like this." Peter warned.

Derek took hold of her hand and looked up at his uncle. "Just do it."

Peter pressed the crushed wolfsbane into the puncture wounds. Claire screamed in pain, the smell of burning flesh filled the air. She tried to break free of the hands that were holding her down, but in her weakened state, she could barely arm wrestle Cora, let alone anyone else.

"Please- Please make it stop..." She cried, burying her face into Derek's forearm.

His ears rang and his heart nearly shattered for her, but Derek stayed strong against her pleas. It was what was best for her. But that didn't mean it didn't pain him to see her suffer so much.

It's easy to look at people and make quick judgments about them, their present and their pasts, but you'd be amazed at the pain and tears a single smile hides. What a person shows to the world is only one tiny facet of the iceberg hidden from sight. And more often than not, it's lined with cracks and scars that go all the way to the foundation of their soul. In that moment, Claire's walls had disappeared and everyone in the room saw the fragile, broken girl beneath the surface.

After a few moments of her struggling against them, Derek felt her body go completely limp against him. He listened to her heart beat. It was there, but just barely. Sliding off the couch and gathering her in his arms, Derek carried her to the door.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Scott yelled.

Derek didn't bother turning around. "To find Deucalion." He left without another word. He finally understood what true love meant...love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be.

Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life... you give them a piece of you.

Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain.

And Derek was about to rip the band-aid off his once scarred over wounds. If it meant she'd live to see another day, then so be it. He wasn't about to let her die. He promised her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her and ever since she came back into his life, she was hurt far more times than he was in his entire life.

Isaac and Scott followed Derek, preparing themselves for a battle should Deucalion actually take the bait.

When you dance with the devil, _you don't get to pick the tune_.

The walk into the woods didn't take long, it would be the best place for cover. As much as we have free choice, absolute destiny is immutable. What is meant to happen does, through one measure or another. Gently laying her down on the forest ground, Derek sent a deep but very loud howl, knowing that Deucalion would hear him. Isaac and Scott stood alert while Derek bent down to brush a few strands of hair out of Celeste's face.

Unbeknownst to them, Deucalion was watching silently, the blind excuse long forgotten. The Alpha could see perfectly. He couldn't help but notice how the Alpha caressed the girl's face, or how he had carried her, like she meant something to him. Deucalion had an idea then. Now that the girl was on his side.. he could kill two birds with one stone.

Get her to attack Derek.

Get Derek to kill her.

It was a win-win situation, really.

Deucalion's face lit up with a smirk as she stepped out of the shadows. The crunching of leaves alerted his company that their bait had arrived.

Derek stood, his hands balled into fists. Scott stood with hatred in his eyes, while Isaac stood poised, alert. They each had their own vendetta against the Alpha, each with their own little plan on the side.

"I'll join your pack ... if you help her." Derek said through clenched teeth.

Deucalion considered this for a moment before stepping forward, bending down toward the girl. Extracting his claws, the Alpha dug them into her chest, just above her heart. Claire clawed at the arm, trying to free herself from it. Deucalion retracted his claws and stood. The dark, protruding veins were gone from her skin. Claire opened her eyes, sucking in a ragged breath.

Derek nearly fell to his knees.

"Darling, why don't you show these boys just how mean you can get?" Deucalion smirked, before declaring war. "Attack."

Claire's head turned toward Derek, Scott and Isaac. She stood, center of the woods, her blood-red eyes all the color of hatred. With her hair loose and her pale skin, she was an exquisite horror, like a doll constructed by an evil hand. And she was evil, her darkness coming to him in waves, emanating from the center of her chest even as nothing about her moved and her face remained unmarred by a frown.

A dominant wolf's desire to protect was a strong instinct - Derek was very dominant. He crouched low.

"You want her to kill us?"

Deucalion chuckled. "No.. I want you to kill her."

Claire dipped into a crouch and lunged, her nails digging into Derek's shoulder as he fell backwards, throwing her off of him. She landed in a crouch as Derek got back to his feet. Isaac and Scott tried to grab her, but as angry as she was, Claire easily threw them off.

Some things are private. Some things needed to be said, even when the person who needed to hear them couldn't hear anything. Ever again.

"Claire, this isn't you!" Derek yelled. He grabbed her hands and made her look at him. Only dead, hatred filled eyes stared back. "Fight this!"

"Fuck you!" Claire slashed at his chest, tearing his shirt.

He was thrown into a nearby tree, a groan leaving his lips. It was official, he'd just stepped out of the kiddie pool and into the deep end. And drowning was not an option.

* * *

**Author's Note: Another chapter. How you all enjoy it! :) Reviews are lovely.**


	8. Broken

Scott jumped from the tree, landing with a thud against Claire, knocking her to the ground. Isaac had charged to pin her down, but this blood thirsty and full of rage, Claire knocked them both aside.

"Claire!"

The Alpha spun around to face Derek, growling deep in her chest.

"I know, somewhere, deep down that the Claire I once knew is still in there."

Claire growled at him.

"Deep down, there's still my best friend. Deep down -" He stepped a few inches forward toward her. "- there's still that girl when we were kids that got picked on because of the way she dressed. Remember Claire? Remember the bullies that threw rocks at you when we were in second grade?" He took another two steps toward her. "Because I do. I remember you and I were inseparable. Our mothers were the best of friends. Do you remember her? Your mother? She was killed, murdered in cold blood, by him-" Derek inclined his head toward Deucalion and Claire followed his gaze. "This is not you, Claire."

Claire turned her face to him again, snarling this time.

"Remember those martial arts lessons I gave you so that you could stand up to those bullies and the last time they threw rocks at you, you threw them on a the rock and got suspended?"

Claire held her head, trying to shake the memories.

"Remember when we were teenagers and our parents thought we were dating? We snuck behind their backs for months, Claire."

"Stop!" Claire yelled, charging after Derek. He side-stepped her and knocked her down, pinning her with his weight, his hands restraining her arms.

"Stop struggling! I'm not letting you go."

The red in her irises receded and she stopped struggling, laying still, her gaze looking up at him. "Claire? It's me." After a pause, he added, "Derek."

Like she could mistake that deep rumble for anyone else, like she could mistake that little part of her that perked up like an eager puppy saying, _It's him. Quick! Go see what he wants._

"Derek."

She looked up at him. His green eyes glittered in the dark, reflecting the moonlight like a cat's. His scowl had vanished. The defiance was gone, too, replaced by a tightness around his mouth, a worry that clouded his eyes; and seeing that quicksilver change, She wanted to... She didn't know what she wanted to do. Kick him in the shins seemed like a good option. Unfortunately, bursting into tears seemed more likely, because here lay the root of the problem, the contradiction in Derek that she couldn't seem to work out, no matter how hard she tried.

One second he was in her face, making her feel stupid and useless, pinning her down so she wouldn't kill anyone. The next he was like this: hovering, concerned, worried. She told herself it was just his wolf instinct, that he had to protect her whether he wanted to or not, but when he looked like this, like he'd pushed her too far and regretted it - that look said he genuinely cared.

And it terrified her to the core.

Derek had gotten off her, leaving her on the ground, unsure if he'd gotten through to her or not. Truthfully, Derek was exhausted and didn't know if anything would be normal again. Not that was it was normal to begin with.

"No!" Deucalion yelled and when Derek turned around, he plunged the serrated blade into Derek's chest. Blood poured out of Derek's mouth and when Deucalion pulled the knife out, Claire saw those green eyes dim and his body crumpled to the ground.

Claire watched in horror as Derek didn't get up. "Well, seeing as you wouldn't kill him, I figured I'd do it myself."

One part of her brain, soaring on adrenaline, insisted she could take Deucalion, whatever the size difference. Another part wondered where the hell Isaac and Scott were. The loudest part just shouted: _Run, you idiot, run!_

She chose the first option.

The blood boiled in her body, her claws elongating, the blue in her eyes turning a vicious mixture of red and black.

She wanted to walk over there. She wanted to curl up beside him, lean against him, talk to him. She wanted to know what he was thinking. She wanted to tell him everything would be okay. And she wanted him to tell her the same thing. She didn't care if it was true or not - she just wanted to say it. To hear it, to feel his arms around her, hear the rumble of his words, that deep chuckle that made her pulse race.

But she wouldn't get her chance, because Derek still refused to move.

Something snapped in her. Like the-last-of-her-humanity-had-just-flown-out-the-wi ndow kind of snapped and she lunged for Deucalion, her claws digging into his neck. Once she felt as though she had a good grip, she twisted, snapping the Alpha's neck.

She might be half Derek's size, but she was the one who sounded like a two-hundred-pound beast plowing through the woods after Deucalion. It wasn't about wanting to die or having nothing left to live for; it was about letting go. You live your life doing what you're supposed to do, following the rules, following your conscience no matter what your gut tells you - and most times, that's okay. Control is good. It allows you to believe in certainty and absolutes, like lining up the perfect shot. But when you hold on for so long, and hold on so tight, every once in a while you have to close your eyes and jump.

Isaac and Scott watched in shock near Derek's body.

In a very horrifying, straight-out-of-a-horror-movie kind of thing, Deucalion's decapitated head landed by a nearby tree, his body falling to the ground. Breathing heavy, Claire stood, looking down at his dead body. "This time, stay dead motherfucker."

Both Isaac and Scott exchanged glances

It was official, they were never going to piss her off.

_Ever._

Claire had stepped toward Derek's body, the sobs uncontrollable now, her chest aching, adrenaline worn off from the satisfaction. She fell to her knees and cried. There was no way in hell did she ever think she'd see the day when Derek Hale was defeated. But here it was.

And it was all her fault.

The smallest decisions made had such profound repercussions. One ten-minute wait could save a life… Or end it… One wrong turn down the right street or one seemingly unimportant conversation, and everything was changed. It wasn't right that each lifetime was defined, ruined, ended, and made by such seemingly innocuous details. A major life-threatening event should come with a flashing warning sign that either said _ABANDON ALL HOPE _or _SAFETY AHEAD_. It was the cruelest joke of all that no one could see the most vicious curves until they were over the edge, falling into the abyss below.

Claire had fallen into that abyss.

Scott pulled Isaac aside, leaving Claire with Derek's body, her hand hovering over his chest, shaking violently. "Can you take her back to your house?"

"Yeah." Isaac nodded. "What are you going to - uh, do with Derek's body?"

"I'm taking him to my boss."

"The vet? Why?"

Scott leaned in closer to Isaac. "Because he'll know what to do with his body."

Isaac nodded and left Scott's side, gently picking up the emotionally exhausted Claire in his arms. He disappeared deep into the forest not a moment later.

Scott exhaled a deep breath and took out his cellphone, calling his boss.

It only took one ring before there was a voice on the other end.

"_Hello?_"

"I need your help."

* * *

**Author's Note: ...I love cliffhangers. What are your guys thoughts on what Scott's plan is? Reviews are the best. :) And thanks again to those that have followed, favorited and reviewed this story! **


	9. Black Dawn

Isaac had taken her back to his place - or what she assumed was his house - and set her down on the couch in the living room. The rest of that day was a blank to her, consumed in her own thoughts. She was torn between holding it together and tearing apart at the seams. She's always torn. Between control and chaos; passion and tranquility. Between what's fated and what she wanted. She couldn't make a choice between chaos and control. Not because it had been made for her. But because there was no choice to make. It wasn't one or the other. They were both inside her. They were both a part of her. She was nothing without both sides. Take one away and she would fall. Part of her longed to take the plunge, to dive off headfirst and let the feeling of control evaporate on the wind. And part of her wants to be in a place where she'd never have to worry about that choice-or any choice, for that matter. Where peace and calm are the only things she'd feel.

_Death _was the only place she knew of where she could find peace and calm.

And it wasn't looking like such a bad idea anymore.

The thought filled her with grief, grief for the dreams they'd shared, for the love she'd felt, for the hopeful girl she would never be again. The tears that had threatened to overflow finally did, coursing down her cheeks, staining any and everything in their path.

Isaac didn't bother her, but he did keep a close eye on her, though. She didn't mind. It was nice to know someone was watching out for her.

She lost track of the time, Isaac sitting down next to her.

"You should eat something."

Automatic response.

"I'm not hungry."

Isaac let out a soft sigh. Derek had been right - she was stubborn beyond belief.

Claire just sat there, barely moving an inch on the couch. Derek's face would always be implanted into her memory. His face, the way his eyes saw right through her and his smile, the crooked smile that was reserved just for her. She wouldn't forget the protectiveness, either. She appreciated his protection, of course, but she was not sure if she wanted to be looked at... as if she were fragile. A thing to hold gingerly, as one holds a delicate rose, careful not to bump its silken petals lest they should spill to the floor.

Tears flowed freely again and this time, Claire did nothing to stop them. Isaac didn't either. He'd learned that when the heart is cut open, it's best to let it out before trying to sew it back together.

Time - and all the events held therein - plays out as it must. We cannot impose our will on it. The only true measure of strength is our ability to bear that which time demands.

Time.

Time was a bitch, he concluded.

Healing's not always natural. Healing's not always the way a body wants to go. Sometimes the body wants to run. Sometimes it can't think of anything but what might stop the pain. And though stopping the pain's important if you want a body healing, it isn't the whole. Sometimes that just keeps you broke.

_Your life is a lot bigger than this moment. You need to remember that you can't let the trials you face right now derail your course forever._ Her mind told her. She needed to find the other Alphas and take them down - it's what Derek was planning before he ... oh she couldn't say the word. What was the point of finding something worth living for in her life was no longer in her own hands? She couldn't hold Derek, tell him that she was sorry. She couldn't do any of those things.

Claire sniffed, trying to wipe her eyes as best she could. She failed, miserably.

"Isaac, can- can I ask you something?"

Isaac looked up from the spot on the floor that he'd been concentrating on and nodded.

His heart broke for her when she looked at him. "Can you stay... with me?"

"Of course." Isaac pulled the blanket off the top of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders as he pulled her against him. She snuggled up against his chest, his arm drapped lightly over her shoulders. There was nothing particularly intimate about the way they sat, but something about the scene made Isaac feel strange, like he'd heard an unpleasant statement and later forgotten everything about the words but the way they had made him feel.

Claire was asleep against him in moments, her restless thoughts taking her away.

_She remembered when she was six and Derek had came over to her house after school, saw the cut just below her eye and nearly flipped his lid. He demanded that she tell him everything. And she did. She didn't know why she did, but she ended up spilling her guts to the seven year old. _

_The next day at school, the same thing happened. They thought Claire was strange, because her bat-shit-crazy father was in the local asylum and her mother was the local sheriff that was more sane than the rest of the department - and that made people question Claire. Was she crazy like her father or sane like her mother? Or a little bit of both? Sometimes, if she wanted to be alone, she'd pretend she was crazy just to scare the other kids. _

_Mrs. Hale was nearly always the one that came and talked the principal out of suspending her because her mother worked crazy shifts. Mrs. Hale could talk her way out of a wet paper bag. She was charming and gifted at making the best batch of chocolate chip cookies on the planet. _

_Before school was about to be let out, the bullies had come up to her again. But this time, Derek had stepped in, nearly crushing the six year old's wrist with his bare hand. She thought of him as a hero. The school didn't see her same view._

_But still, Mrs. Hale charmed her way out of either of them being suspended or expelled. _

_At the age of sixteen, things hadn't gotten better. Her father was supposedly let out of the asylum because he was better. _

_Claire didn't think he was better._

_She thought he was worse._

_Her mother still worked crazy shifts so Claire was stuck home with her father._

_That's when the abuse started._

_Sometimes she spent more time at the Hale Manor than she did at her own home._

_Her father beat her, bruised her, cut her with a knife. All the things a father wasn't supposed to do, he did it. And when she ran over to the Hale Manor and Mr. Hale answered the door, things went downhill. Mr. Hale had taken in her appearance and walked her back over to her house, confronting her father._

_By the time Derek had gotten back home from school, Police and ambulances lined the street. Her mother had gotten the call and finally learned what her daughter had been keeping from her all this time. Derek saw his dad sitting next to her in the back of the ambulance and when he rushed over to her, she threw her arms around his neck and cried._

_Mr. Hale had killed her father._

_Not in cold blood._

_But because he was protecting her._

* * *

**Author's Note: A bittersweet chapter... with a bittersweet childhood flashback. Reviews are appreciated! And those of you that were a bit upset by the last chapter will be happy when the next chapter is posted! :)**


	10. Invincible

It wasn't a cardiac monitor, but it was the best they had. Shocks of electricity made the body laying on the Vet's examination table nearly jump off.

"Again."

The jumper cables and car battery were the only useful things in the vet's office at the moment. He had an idea - an idea that Isaac told him, when he told him about what happened to him during the four months that they were looking for Erica and Boyd.

And now the same thing was being done to Derek.

Scott had promised his boss to buy him a new battery.

It was the least he could do.

Derek's body jerked and lifted off the table.

And then the door to the vet opened and soon enough, Melissa McCall had stepped into the back room with a bunch of medical supplies in a big box.

"I wasn't sure what we would need."

"It's okay." Scott reassured her, peering down at Derek. "His heart is beating faintly, but he's still not breathing."

Melissa brought out one of those portable heart monitors that she borrowed from the hospital. She hooked Derek up to it before Deaton shocked him with the jumper cables again. Derek jerked one last time before nearly flying off the table.

Scott, Deaton and Melissa had to hold him down to stop from moving.

"Derek! Relax!"

After a few moments, after his brain caught up with him, Derek settled down. "What-what happened?"

"Deucalion nearly killed you."

Heavy-lidded eyes stared up at him. "What abo-what about Claire?"

"She's with Isaac, she's safe."

Derek, seemingly relieved by the very thought, proceeded to pass out from exhaustion. Scott couldn't blame him, though. After everything they'd been through, let alone the past day and a half, he couldn't blame the Alpha for being exhausted.

Then again, Scott himself was exhausted.

"Is he going to be okay?"

Deaton looked up from working on cleaning Derek's chest wound, his gaze wandering from Scott, to Derek, then at Scott again.. "He'll be weak for a few days, this alpha that attacked him is strong."

Scott nodded before sitting down on the chair in the corner, the heel of his hands rubbing his eyes. Melissa bent down to eye level with her son. "Why don't you let me take you home and sleep? Deaton will call if anything happens."

Scott looked up at his mother.

"She's right Scott, nothing can get in." Deaton said from his place at the table.

"No, I'm fine." He waved his hand. Somewhere, deep down, Scott knew he owed it to Derek to stay and watch over him. He couldn't protect himself should something find it's way into the vet. Deep down, Scott owed Derek a lot, after the older Alpha helped him control his werewolf side.

It was then, Scott realized.

No matter how many times he denied it, Scott was part of Derek's pack.

Scott listened to the heart monitor that was hooked up to Derek's chest. _Beep...beep...beep...beep...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeep._

Scott looked up alarmed.

Melissa ran to Derek, while Deaton shocked Derek again with the jumper cables. They both tried their best to stabilize Derek. Scott tried to rack his brain as to why Derek's heartbeat dropped. Deucalion only stabbed him, as much as Scott saw. So why did Derek flat-line?

Something didn't add up.

Scott couldn't be bothered by that now as he watched Deaton shock Derek again.

This time, Derek's heartbeat came back.

"What happened?"

"...I don't know." Deaton confessed.

Scott's mind was too tired for this shit.

You could lose the ones you loved and trusted in the blink of an eye—and he was willing to bet, when it happened, you weren't thinking about all the reasons that could have kept you apart. You thought of all the reasons that kept you together. And, no doubt, how you wished you'd had more time. Even if you'd had centuries… When you were young, you thought time was a burden, something to be discharged as fast as possible so you could be grown-up. But it was such a bait-n-switch—when you were an adult, you came to realize that minutes and hours were the single most precious thing you had. No one got forever. And it was a fucking crime to waste what you were given.

Derek's breathing evened out and everyone in the room slowly let out a breath.

There are some pains that run too deep for anything to absolve them. The best we can do is pick up the pieces and hope for the strength we need to keep going. The hardest part of living is making peace with your past. Most of all, it's making peace with yourself. Derek had yet to make peace with himself.

Scott turned around when he heard the slap of skin against metal and saw Derek attempting to stand. "Derek? Woah - take it easy." He reached for the Alpha and put his arm around his neck.

"I-I have to see Claire."

Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn't something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you.

This storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn't get in, and walk through it, step by step. There's no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense of time. Just fine white sand swirling up into the sky like pulverized bones. That's the kind of sandstorm you need to imagine.

And you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will bleed there, and you will bleed too. Hot, red blood. You'll catch that blood in your hands, your own blood and the blood of others.

And once the storm is over you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about.

Derek was a survivor.

And nothing was going to change that.

* * *

**Author's Note: It seems as though nothing can take down Derek Hale... ;) Reviews are lovely!**


	11. The Awakening

Not everyone in the world is alike. And some of us are a lot more different than others. Some of us were born like this, some of us were changed. But no matter how this happened to you, if you are here it is because this is your destiny. It was chosen for you. The truth is that your whole life can change with one split-second decision, and it doesn't matter if you told yourself you'd never do it or if you stepped into the moment with no intention of doing it. All it takes is for that one second of absolute panic when the solution shines right there in front of you, and you grab it... only to have it turn into ash in your hand.

You can blame it all on fate and the universe, but in the end you alone decide if you're going to lie down and let hell take you under, or if you're going to stand strong in defiance of it all with your middle finger raised. If you muster that courage to stand under fire and not go down, you will amass an inner strength that no one can touch. You won't be another faceless, nameless, forgotten human in a long historical line of the defeated. You will be a steeled warrior, and a force to be forever reckoned with. And beneath the pain that lingers, you will have the comfort of knowing that you are strongest of all. That when others caved and broke, you kept fighting even against hopeless odds.

We don't have a choice in how or when our bad days will blind side us. But what we do choose is how we allow them to leave us once they're gone. You can use those moments as a catalyst to spur you on to greater things or you can let it be the event that breaks you and leaves you shattered and forever lost in darkness. But there was only so much worrying you could do before you just had to accept what life throws at you and move on, because some things were going to be out of your control, and others can't be fixed or changed. And for everything she'd lost over the last couple of months, she still had a lot. More than she expected, actually.

She missed the smell of him, missed his lips and strong arms but most of all she missed _him._

But she wouldn't allow herself anymore grief.

Not when there were four other Alphas that needed to be taken down.

When Claire opened her eyes, she came face to face with Isaac's.

She nearly dove off the couch in surprise.

"Holy shi-" She stopped herself when she saw Isaac open his eyes. "Hi."

"Morning." He replied.

Claire glanced down at her body.

Yep.

She was still clothed.

Glancing up at Isaac, she noted he was still clothed, too.

"What-uh, what happened?"

Isaac sat up, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, we - we didn't, uh, _you know._ It's impossible since you-you're clothed and and and, I'm clothed and _obviously_ that can't happen if we're both clothed. It's not-"

Isaac interrupted her. "Claire?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Claire blinked at him. "Thank you."

Isaac returned the favor by flashing her a bright smile and then laughing. She acted like a total noob just then and he was laughing at her.

She smacked him with a pillow she'd grabbed from the couch.

His phone vibrated on the coffee table and he answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Can you meet me at Derek's?"_

_Scott._

"Yeah, sure, why?"

"_You'll see. Bring Claire with you too, will you?"_

Isaac looked at Claire when Scott mentioned her name. "Yeah, we'll be there." He hung up the phone a moment later.

* * *

Half an hour later, Claire and Isaac were walking into Derek's loft. Scott and Stiles were already there.

But the third person that was there, nearly took Claire's breath away.

There stood Derek, all six foot of him. Maybe it was just the thrill of seeing him, but he looked better than she remembered. He was patched up, and dressed differently.

But he was alive.

He smiled. Hesitant at first, then a blazing grin broke through that made her heart stop. She recovered and grinned back and went to throw her arms around his neck, then stopped, blushing. Before she could pull back, he caught her elbows and put her arms around his neck and pulled her into a hug. Her skin came alive under his fingers, every touch an electric crackle through her veins. Her knees nearly gave out as she buried her face in his chest.

"I thought you were dead."

His breath was warm on her neck as he bent his head, resting his cheek against her hair. Her heart beat so quickly, and yet she felt utterly calm - as if she could have stayed there forever and not minded, stayed there forever and let the world fall apart around them.

With each day he felt the barriers melting. He _let _them melt. Because of her genuine laugh, because he caught her one afternoon when they were kids, sleeping with her face in the middle of a book, _because he knew that she would win_.

Too much was between them, pulling them together at the same time as it pushed them apart. Their need for each other would always be in constant battle with the need to keep the other safe. Love wasn't forged by circumstance or changed by sorrow. It simply was. Fierce and free as the wolf within her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered near her ear.

She pulled him closer to her, as if it would never be enough for her and replied, "It's okay."

She'd forgive him over and over if it meant he'd stay with her. Hell, she would write it in blood if it made him feel better. She would do anything and everything.

She leaned forward, up on her toes and kissed him. His eyes widened, then his lips parted and he kissed her back, mouth warm and firm against hers and that floating feeling washed over and through her, and it was so amazing that when it ended, she just stayed there, her face so close to his that she could feel his breath, see those incredible eyes, and that was all she could see, all she wanted to see.

* * *

**Author's Note: ... annnnnnnnnd Derek and Claire are reunited! I'm seriously torn between Derek/Claire and Isaac/Claire because they are both so fucking adorable. ajksdlfjkalsdfjkalsdf. So conflicted. | Anyway, a big thanks to the new followers and favorites! Reviews are always appreciated, obviously. :)**


	12. Fracture

"You were worried about me."

An exhale. "Yeah."

She turned. "Because you think I'm worth it?"

He put his fingers under her chin and made her look at him. "I absolutely think you're worth it."

"But you don't think you are."

His mouth opened. Shut.

"That's what this is about, Derek. You won't let us worry about you because you don't think you're worth it. But I do. I absolutely do."

Claire sniffed as Derek laid on his bed, Claire sitting on the other side. Neither of them spoke. Silence seemed to follow them wherever they went.

The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see-the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that survived. For people like her and Derek, their souls contained more scar tissue than life.

_Flashback to when she was just about to turn eighteen._

_It had been two years since her father had been killed. Mr. Hale didn't talk about it much, but she figured he didn't like what he had to do. Derek was helping her re-paint her room that summer - as a couple. Yeah, they'd been together two years. Their parents saw it coming, just as Derek's siblings did, too. That's why there was no sex talk or anything that normal parents tell their kids. Their mother used to joke that if they didn't get together, it would be more of a surprise than if they did get together._

_Derek had brought her up a couple of buckets of paint, setting them in the middle of the room. Everything had been taken out of her room - all the furniture were sitting in the room across the hallway._

"_You know," Derek said, standing straight and looking around. "I'm gonna miss this color."_

_Claire raised an eyebrow at Derek, as if he lost his mind. "Why?"_

"_Because," Derek's smile was bright as he looked at her. "I realised you owned me one night in this room. You made a little noise in your sleep like you were distressed and I panicked and ran to your side. You grabbed my arm in your sleep and pulled it up against your face and went back to sleep. I didn't want to ever move."_

_She felt her heart nearly burst. She look at him ready to cry again. Not out of pain. Not out of need. But because his words rub that part of her soul that suffers, that wants to be explored like a virgin land that has remained intact for centuries and craves to be occupied, appreciated and transformed._

"_Oh." Claire grinned, teasing. "I guess that explains how I woke up with fur stuck to my cheek."_

_They had painted the whole room in a day and then Derek and her went out for a walk after dinner. Alone. _

_There was an open field behind the house and that's where they were headed. There was a full moon in the starless sky. She thought how rarely she had noticed such things. Some deep failure of the soul perhaps. An inherited emptiness. A nothingness passed from generation to generation. A flaw in the psyche, discovered only by those who suffer by it. Finally, when they were far enough from the house, Derek led her into a little patch of woods. He hesitated then, unsure, still just holding her hand. When she stepped in front of him, though, his free hand went around her waist._

_"So," She said. "Seems you're going to be stuck with me for a while."_

_He smiled. A real smile that lit up his whole face._

_"Good," he said. _

_He pulled her against him. Then he bent down, his breath warming her lips. Her pulse was racing so fast she could barely breathe. She was sure he'd stop again and tensed, waiting for that hesitation, stomach twisting. His lips touched her, and still she kept waiting for him to pull back. His lips pressed against hers, then parted. And he kissed her. Really kissed her - arms tightening around her, mouth moving against hers, firm, like he'd made up his mind that this was what he wanted and he wasn't backing down again. _

_Claire slid her arms around his neck. His tightened around her and he scooped her up, lifting her off her feet, kissing her like he was never going to stop, and she kissed him back the same way, like she didn't want him to ever stop. It was a perfect moment, one where nothing else mattered. All she could feel was him. All she could taste was his kiss. All she could hear was the pounding of his heart. All she could think about was him, and how much she wanted this, and how incredibly lucky she was to get it, and how tight she was going to hold onto it._

_This is what she wanted. This guy. This life. She was never getting her old life back and she didn't care. She was happy and safe. She was right where she wanted to be._

_When you know love...that's what makes this life worth it. When you live with it everyday. Wake up with it, hold on to it during the thunder and after a nightmare. When love is your refuge from the death that surrounds us all and when it fills you so tight that you can't express it. Life is filled with unanswered questions, but it is the courage to seek those answers that continues to give meaning to life. You can spend your life wallowing in despair, wondering why you were the one who was led towards the road strewn with pain, or you can be grateful that you are strong enough to survive it._

_Whoever said that love hurts was wrong. Love is excruciating, especially when you can feel it slipping through your fingers and there is nothing you can do about it. Like someone was playing tug-of-war with my limbs, ripping to shreds whatever was left behind. But sometimes, love was worth it._

_In everybody's life there's a point of no return. And in a very few cases, a point where you can't go forward anymore. And when we reach that point, all we can do is quietly accept the fact. That's how we survive. Sometimes the greatest tests of our strength are situations that don't seem so obviously dangerous. Sometimes surviving is the hardest thing of all._

_Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive._

_Claire had scars._

_But so did Derek._

_And together, they survived._

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry for this late update - It's been EXTREMELY hot the past few days and I've been wanting to do nothing but lay underneath a fan. But here you go! :) Reviews are awesome, by the way. :P**


	13. Decisions

_Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can't wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. _

_You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it's like being young again. Colors seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn't exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day's work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there's no need for continuous conversation, but you find you're quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. _

_Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there's a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that's so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life._

_People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. _

_We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it. No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater...The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that's the key. It's like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot._

_A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable._

Claire shut her journal, her hand sore from writing. Her and Derek had moved into Claire's old house and were in the process of fixing it up to it's former glory. They went looking for the other Alphas - they disappeared soon after Claire had taken Deucalion out, but somewhere, deep down, Claire knew they weren't far away and they were just plotting their revenge.

She could practically hear the howls at night.

_We're still here, planning our vengeance._

_And we'll find you when you least expect it._

But Claire and Derek - along with the rest of the gang - had stood their ground, ready for battle at a moment's notice, ready to stand for their town.

For each other.

* * *

**Author's Note: I know it might seem rushed and not like my other chapters, but I've had a lot to do, with the summer coming. ****This might be the last chapter of the story, because I've got a writer's block like something wicked.** :| Hope you enjoyed this though! Reviews are welcome! 


	14. One Grave At A Time

**Five Months Later.**

The Alphas took their time in planning their attack, and when they made their move, they went hard.

Deucalion was dead.

Four Alphas left.

Four _revenge driven _Alphas, to be exact.

Claire, Derek, Scott, Isaac, Cora, Peter, Boyd, Allison and even Lydia and Stiles were up against the four Alphas.

Two Alphas.

Four Betas.

One crazy Uncle that no one could figure out if he was an Alpha or Beta anymore.

One Werewolf Hunter.

And two humans.

Strength in numbers.

You _would think_ the odds were in their favor, wouldn't you?

"There is only one way to fight, and that's dirty. Clean, gentlemanly fighting will get you nowhere but dead, and fast." Claire told Isaac and Scott as they took cover to pull a wounded Cora to safety, "Take every cheap shot, every low blow, _absolutely_ kick them when they're down, and maybe everyone will walk away from this fight."

She left to join Derek in battle - against the bald-headed Alpha; it was a nice name for him considering she never stopped her flurry of punches to ask him his name - knocking the idiot in the head. He stumbled, and then the she wolf jumped in and growled at Claire. Being a martial arts expert, Claire dodged every punch, every kick and every head-butt that she wolf threw at her.

They were not helpless...Many times in their lives they'd been powerless, but not this night. Right now they had the power to choose the manner in which they would die. If they have been a master of nothing else in all your days, they were now a master of this moment.

"You're going to die, bitch!"

She wolf charged at her again, knocking her to the floor and tearing her face open because she caught Claire by surprise, the claw marks went all the way down her to her cheek bone. Blood spilled down her face. Claire recovered quickly, though, replying, "This isn't the first time I've faced death, and I don't intend for it to be the last."

Claire twisted her legs around the werewolf's throat, catching her in a choke hold as she squeezed her throat. She wolf got one last good swipe, slicing her side like a hot knife through butter. Claire resisted the urge to scream in pain as she grabbed the werewolf's hands and held them in place.

"NOW!"

Stiles was in her face not a moment later, throwing mountain ash on the bitch, burning her. Claire grabbed a handful of the ash and shoved it down the bitch's throat - keeping her mouth shut as the life literally left her eyes.

Payback is a bitch.

Have you ever had one of those moments when time just freezes? You know, when the world suddenly goes deathly still, and you could hear a pin drop, and the squishing sound your heart makes is so loud in your ears you feel like you're drowning in blood, and you stand there in that suspended moment and die a thousand deaths, but not really, and the moment passes and dumps you out on the other side of it, with your mouth hanging open, and an erased blackboard where your mind used to be?

That's what it was like.

Isaac and Scott had the Alpha twins.

Derek and Boyd had the bald-headed Alpha.

Two down.

Three to go.

Her energy was waning as she threw the body aside, holding her side. Stiles helped her up, bringing her over to the safe spot behind a pillar where Cora was.

"You're not healing."

"I'm fine." She leaned against the pillar, breathing heavy.

Allison lifted the tank top she'd been wearing and Stiles cringed. "That looks painful."

"What do you think?" Claire asked dryly as she tried to stand. She needed to help Derek and the rest of them.

Once upon a time, when she was a child reading fairy tales, she'd ached to have her own adventures. Not that she wanted to be some dippy heroine languishing in a tower, awaiting rescue. No, she wanted to be the knight, charging into battle against overwhelming odds. As she got older, she found out the hard way that adventures are rarely anything like the books say. Good not always won. Half the time you are scared out of your mind, and the rest you're bored and your feet hurt. She was beginning to believe that maybe she wasn't the adventurous type. But she wasn't one that was going to back down from a fight.

Maybe when she was dead.

No, not even then.

She could see Derek was getting weak, she could sense it.

She needed to help him.

Allison stopped her, her hand on her arm. Claire turned to glance at her, raising an eyebrow. "If you want to help me, then help me. Don't shield me, don't protect me, _help me_."

She pulled her arm out of Allison's grip and with her remaining strength, charged after the bald-headed Alpha that had slashed at Derek, taking a shot at body slamming the Alpha. She might have been little and a woman, but goddamn it, she wasn't going to have one of her loved ones hurt.

The Alpha went about 15-20 feet down from them and it gave them a few spare seconds of time to gather strength.

She was the oddest combination of contradictions he'd ever met - innocence and sensuality, candor and diplomacy, anxiety and utter fearlessness. He hadn't even begun to figure out how her mind worked. But she was damn well going to live long enough for him to try. But his face was drawn and his eyes were pained as he looked down at her, and there was a strange expression on his face: defiance and fierce pride and something that looked like wonder, all jumbled up. Claire couldn't place it. And she didn't have time to. The Alpha had charged, slashing his claws, ripping her back wide open. Claire lay there, no longer fighting, since her head was spinning too much. Fresh blood pooled around her beaten body. Her mind was fogged and her whole body ached. Claire thought this was what Death felt like. She hoped she was wrong.

She heard Derek growl in the distance as his body slammed the Alpha into the ground, hand around his throat, squeezing tightly. He'd kill for her, destroy for her, savage anyone who dared attempt to take her from him. And he would never let her go...even if she begged for her freedom. They didn't understand that she held his heart, held it so utterly that there was nothing he wouldn't do, no line he wouldn't cross to keep her safe. And that's just what Derek was going to do. With his bare hands, Derek pierced the Alpha's neck with his claws, squeezing until he heard the sickening _CRACK!_ of the werewolf's spine.

There is a dark music in the screams of your enemies.

Three down.

Two to go.

* * *

**Author's Note: ...dundundun. Tell me what you think? Reviews are awesome! :)**


	15. Darkly Dreaming

"If we die, we die together." She told him, holding his beaten face in her hands. He was losing strength, his wounds weren't healing and were still bleeding profusely. "You'll never get rid of me, either. No matter which side of the grave we're on. I'll haunt you, chase you all around eternity, whatever it takes, but it's you and me until the stars burn out."

One of the reasons why we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame, and sorrow. But some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you. She loved the guy. She did it for him. She would've done anything for him. Some people are like that. Some loves are like that. Most loves are like that, from what I can see. Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out—your friends, everyone you used to know. And it's still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it. But Claire didn't give a damn, she was going to go down with a fight. She was going to go out with a bang.

Sooner or later, fate puts us together with all the people, one by one, who show us what we could, and shouldn't, let ourselves become. Sooner or later we meet the drunkard, the waster, the betrayer, the ruthless mind, and the hate-filled heart. But fate loads the dice, of course, because we usually find ourselves loving or pitying almost all of those people. And it's impossible to despise someone you honestly pity, and to shun someone you truly love. For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love; the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing; the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on.

Because after all, heroes only come in three kinds: _dead, damaged or dubious_.

Derek might be damaged and so might she, but they weren't dead yet.

And they would keep fighting until the world ended.

The clue to everything a man should love and fear in her was there right from the start in the ironic smile that primed and swelled the archery of her full lips. There was pride in that smile and confidence in the set of her fine nose. Without understanding why Derek knew beyond question that a lot of people would mistake her pride for arrogance and confuse her confidence with impassivity. He didn't make that mistake. His eyes were lost swimming floating free in the shimmering lagoon of her steady even stare. Her eyes were large and spectacularly blue. It was the blue that skies are in vivid dreams. It was the blue that the sea would be if the sea were perfect.

Determination set in his heart. He was going to get out of this and then, they were going to go out on a real date.

One of the ironies of courage, and the reason why we prize it so highly, is that we find it easier to be brave for someone else than we do for ourselves alone. And whether she knew it or not, she was giving him the courage to fight - to win. He got to his feet and turned to face the Alpha Twins. Claire got to her feet aswell, standing tall.

"You want to play games?" Claire raised an eyebrow. "Then let's play." She took off at top speed, charging after one of the twins, slashing and clawing at any skin she could get under her nails.

The cloak of the past is cut from patches of feeling, and sewn with rebus threads. Most of the time, the best we can do is wrap it around ourselves for comfort or drag it behind us as we struggle to go on. But everythign has its cause and its meaning. Every life, every love, every action and feeling and thought has its reason and significance: its beginning, and the part it plays in the end. Sometimes, we do see. She saw it. This was her revenge. Her sacrifice for her mother. She dug her nails into the Alpha's chest and twisted. The screams were satisfying to her, a sick feeling taking over her.

Nothing on this planet can compare with a woman's love—it is kind and compassionate, patient and nurturing, generous and sweet and unconditional. Pure. If you are her man, she will walk on water and through a mountain for you, too, no matter how you've acted out, no matter what crazy thing you've done, no matter the time or demand. If you are her man, she will talk to you until there just aren't any more words left to say, encourage you when you're at rock bottom and think there just isn't any way out, hold you in her arms when you're sick, and laugh with you when you're up. And if you're her man and that woman loves you—I mean really loves you?—she will shine you up when you're dusty, encourage you when you're down, defend you even when she's not so sure you were right, and hang on your every word, even when you're not saying anything worth listening to.

And no matter what you do, no matter how many times her friends say you're no good, no matter how many times you slam the door on the relationship, she will give you her very best and then some, and keep right on trying to win over your heart, even when you act like everything she's done to convince you she's The One just isn't good enough. That's a woman's love—it stands the test of time, logic, and all circumstance. It was Claire. It was always her. He'd always come back to her and vice-versa. And no matter how many times he tried to be rid of her, Derek couldn't stand to be away from her. Damn his soul to hell if he ever thought there would be one day where he could live without her. He had dug his claws into the Alpha's neck and twisted, hearing the sickening crack of bones. The body fell to the floor and Derek look up at Claire.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, there's still one more."

The feral scream pierced her ears. "And I think he's pissed."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: GOD, I KNOW THIS IS LONG OVERDUE, I know... I just ... I just_ didn't want to write_. And for that, I'm sorry. I promise, I'll TRY and keep going with this story. Hope you like it! :)**


	16. Seize the Night

The touch was exactly what the touch of a lover's hand should be: familiar, yet exciting as a whispered promise. Derek felt an almost irresistible urge to take her hand and place it flat against his chest, near his heart. Maybe he should've done it. He knew now that she would've laughed, if he'd done it, and she would've liked him for it. But strangers that they were then, they stood for five long seconds and held the stare, while all the parallel worlds, all the parallel lives that might've been, and never would be, whirled around them. The truth is that, no matter what kind of game you find yourself in, no matter how good or bad the luck, you can change your life completely with a single thought or a single act of love. There's a truth deeper than experience. It's beyond what we see, or even what we feel. It's an order of truth that separates the profound from the merely clever, and the reality from the perception. We're helpless, usually, in the face of it; and the cost of knowing it, like the cost of knowing love, is sometimes greater than any heart would willingly pay.

He heard a warning, deep within - we usually do , when something worse than we can imagine is stalking us, and set to pounce. Fate's way of beating us in a fair fight is to give us warnings that we hear, but never heed. Derek didn't heed the warning and now, Claire's life was in the balance. The school teacher, Jennifer Blake had shown up in the fight somehow, out of nowhere and she wasn't there to help them. The next thing Derek knew, was catching Claire before he hit the ground, her body felt limp against his hands.

What the teacher wanted with the last Alpha was beyond him and he could care less. Laying her down in his loft, on his bed, Derek felt his heart clench. They were so close. So close to getting rid of the Alphas.

"Derek, careful." Peter reminded him.

The veins on the Alpha's arms were darkened, and Derek suppressed the urge to scream. A few heartbeats later, Derek stood and had to lean against the wall. Derek clenched and unclenched his fingers several times, trying to get the feeling back in them. Isaac and Scott looked at him, then at Claire. Standing on either side of the bed, both of them laid a hand onto her arm, their own veins darkening as Claire's pain was taken away, just so the girl could get a decent night's rest. It was owed to her, for all the things she did and for everything she sacrificed. She'd lost her parents, and yet she was still fighting, still surviving.

It was the least they could do.

Derek watched silently from his place by the wall, admiration filling his eyes. Despite their differences, they were still willing to help him and Claire. A few moments later, both Scott and Isaac withdrew their hands, feeling the effects. Stiles and Cora helped them each take a seat and rest.

"Derek..."

Despite his weakness, Derek forced himself to walk over to the bed, sitting down next to her. "I'm here." He took her hand in his, holding it gently.

"I'm cold.." Heavy eyes looked up at him. They were so dim, he could barely see the once bright blue in them.

Derek helped her up, and with as much ease as he could, sat behind her, sitting up against the wall behind him, her back against his chest, his arms draped over her waist. She relaxed against him, her head rolling to the side.

"She gonna be okay?"

Cora.

"I don't know." Derek whispered, brushing a few dark strands of hair out of her face.

"Alright, the rest of you need to go home and get some sleep." Peter ushered Allison, Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Isaac out the door of the loft, promising to call if anything happened.

"She's shivering. I'll get you two some more blankets." Cora stood. "You should get those wounds cleaned, Derek."

Not taking his eyes off Claire, Derek replied, "I can't. Not with her like this."

Five minutes later, heaped up on the blankets, their bodies bound by weariness and her deep slumber, surrounded by sickness and hope, death and defiance, Derek touched the soft surrendered curl of Claire's sleeping fingers to his lips, pleading to whatever force of nature that could heal her, if they could. He didn't care how, he just cared that Claire would be okay.

Cora and Peter exchanged glances. They weren't watching the big bad Alpha anymore. They were watching the Derek they grew up with. That kind of love should've been able to beat sickness. That kind of love should've conquered anything.

They watched Derek take her hand and intertwine it with his, the veins on his arms turning black again. He took away her pain. Derek clenched his teeth as he willed the pain she was feeling to be transferred to him. He knew the risks. Too much of her pain could kill him, but to see her suffer so bad, he couldn't help it. He wanted to take all her pain away. Even if it did kill him in the end. The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. She was one of those rare, beautiful people. And Derek couldn't sit by and let her soul be tainted with pain.

"Don't fight it." He whispered, tightening his grip on her. His chest trembled with her sobbing as he attempted to calm her down. "Shhhhh.." He steadily rocked her back and forth gently as he continued to take her pain away. A good portion of the night was spent on his bed for Derek, who cradled Claire in his arms still, his mind nearly ready to pass out from the exhaustion, but he forced himself to stay awake. She had relaxed again against him a few hours ago and yet, Derek didn't have the heart to move her. She had fallen asleep god knows when, and Derek could hear the steady heartbeat coming from her, never once moving to alert him that she was in pain once again.

His fingers were so numb from running them through her hair, that Derek didn't even feel the softness of her hair anymore. Claire's heartbeat picked up and her breath became labored. Derek took her hand, even though he was still weak, willing the pain to be transferred again. His mind was slipping and he could feel himself losing consciousness, and before he come back to reality, darkness took over him.

"Derek!"

Cora laid Claire down on the other side of the bed as Peter laid his nephew down on the other side.

"What the hell happened?!"

"He took too much of her pain away." Peter answered her, putting his ear to Derek's chest.

"Is he alive?"

"Barely." Peter replied, fingers pressed against Derek's neck. "It's going to be a long night."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: jaajskdflajskdlfasdf, God this chapter tore my heart open. I'm such a sap for angst-y chapters. Don't worry, though! Jennifer will be explained!**


	17. Loves Embrace Pt 1

It was agonizing, waiting for them to wake up, Cora could burst at the seams. They laid on the bed, side by side and you could swear they were Romeo and Juliet. Only they weren't dead. Derek wasn't sure how long he'd been out for but when he finally woke from his slumber, his head hurt like he'd been hit by a Mac truck.

"Derek?" Cora walked up to him.

He tried to sit up against the wall, his chest heaving. "What... what happened?"

"You took away too much pain from her... you've been out for two days."

"Two days?" He glanced over at Claire beside him. "She hasn't woken up?"

Cora nodded, adding. "She woke once, but I think it was just because she was having a nightmare."

Derek attempted to stand, his head pounding. It took him a few tries, but he managed to stand straight without falling off.

"You should rest."

"I'm fine. I need to move."

Cora looked at him with a disapproving stare, but let him slowly make his way to the couch. Instead of making it to the couch, Derek landed up on the floor by the window, determining that the walk to the couch was far too much of a walk. Cora sat down next to her big brother and gave him a good look over. Beads of sweat collected on his forehead, and his breath was labored more than it should have been.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine in a few hours.."

"He's lucky to even be alive since he's not an Alpha anymore." Peter walked through the doors and towards them. "That little stunt you pulled isn't easy to pull off and you're lucky to be alive."

"Glad you're happy." Derek said sarcastically, but it lacked it's usual sass. He was too tired to deal with his uncle.

People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. Claire had not only smacked him awake, but dumped a whole bucket of ice water on him. Every nerve went white hot. He was still reeling from the loss of the only family he had left. But he couldn't shake Claire and her calming nature. The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see-the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that survived. For people like him, his soul contained more scar tissue than life.

He had scars. She had known that. He had mental, physical and emotional scars. He was a walking freak show of sorts, but she didn't seem to care. With each day he felt the barriers melting. He _let them_ melt. Because of her genuine laugh, because of when they were still just kids, _because he knew that she would win._ Too much was between them, pulling them together at the same time as it pushed them apart. Their need for each other would always be in constant battle with the need to keep the other safe. Love wasn't forged by circumstance or changed by sorrow. It simply was. Fierce and free as the darkness within him. Not everyone in the world is alike. And some of us are a lot more different than others. Some of us were born like this, some of us were changed. But no matter how this happened to you, if you are here it is because this is your destiny. It was chosen for you. The truth is that your whole life can change with one split-second decision, and it doesn't matter if you told yourself you'd never do it or if you stepped into the moment with no intention of doing it. All it takes is for that one second of absolute panic when the solution shines right there in front of you, and you grab it... only to have it turn into ash in your hand.

The sound of groaning brought Derek out of his thoughts. Claire was pushing herself up into a sitting position, holding her head. Despite his body yelling at him, Derek went over to her, sitting on the bed next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Claire nodded her head slightly, still holding it. "I feel like I got hit by a truck, though."

So gently and softly, Derek had leaned forward and kissed her. For a moment it took her by surprise, her headache disappearing for a fleeting moment. You can blame it all on fate and the universe, but in the end you alone decide if you're going to lie down and let hell take you under, or if you're going to stand strong in defiance of it all with your middle finger raised. If you muster that courage to stand under fire and not go down, you will amass an inner strength that no one can touch. You won't be another faceless, nameless, forgotten human in a long historical line of the defeated. You will be a steeled warrior, and a force to be forever reckoned with. And beneath the pain that lingers, you will have the comfort of knowing that you are strongest of all. That when others caved and broke, you kept fighting even against hopeless odds.

We don't have a choice in how or when our bad days will blind side us. But what we do choose is how we allow them to leave us once they're gone. You can use those moments as a catalyst to spur you on to greater things or you can let it be the event that breaks you and leaves you shattered and forever lost in darkness. But there was only so much worrying you could do before you just had to accept what life throws at you and move on, because some things were going to be out of your control, and others can't be fixed or changed. And for everything he'd lost over the last couple of months, he still had a lot. More than he expected, actually.

Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn't something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you.

This storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn't get in, and walk through it, step by step. There's no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense of time. Just fine white sand swirling up into the sky like pulverized bones. That's the kind of sandstorm you need to imagine. And you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will bleed there, and you will bleed too. Hot, red blood. You'll catch that blood in your hands, your own blood and the blood of others.

And once the storm is over you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about. Derek was a survivor. It was in his blood, his veins. And nothing was going to change that. It was hard to know what was worse: him being with her, or him being without her.

Claire bit her bottom lip once he released her from the kiss, her gaze looking up at him with a emotion that Derek hadn't seen in awhile. It made Derek's mind go crazy. There's nothing more annoying than cold logic and reason when you've got a good fit going. He wanted to do things to her that a good girl definitely shouldn't let a man do to her. And if his mind was as crooked as his thoughts, she wouldn't walk for a week. Which would give him a perfect excuse to just lay in bed with her, all day. Oh he was teasing himself now. Love, he thought as he held her to his heart, was an agony beyond compare. He was putting himself through unnecessary torment and torture.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Somehow, I was going to make this into a nearly 5,000 word chapter, but that would be a bit much, to be honest, so I broke it down into parts. Here's the first part! Hope you like it and as always, reviews are so welcome! :)**


	18. Loves Embrace Pt 2

"Come on, Uncle." Cora grabbed Peter's wrist and pulled him toward the door. "Call us if anything happens!" She shut the door behind them and now, Derek and Claire were all alone.

_Perfect._

Thank god his sister knew what was playing in the back of his mind. He'll have to remind himself later to thank her.

Grabbing her legs, Derek pulled her up onto his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. She had always felt as though there was some part of her that was more animal than human. That was why she could never live in the world her father had tried to fashion for her. Derek made that part of her come alive with a roar and matched it with one of his own. He was her perfect match. Whether he was aware of it or not, his soul recognized hers as its mate. He had changed her world with just his presence because her world hadn't been right until he entered it. And now, death didn't even seem to bother her. So much had changed, so much had happened in her life. Once cold and calculated she was. Now, she felt warm and fuzzy inside. And all because of one person, one man. She couldn't believe it, how this could of happened to her. Keeping her legs wrapped possessively around his waist, Claire pulled her body up, as close to his as she could possibly get, wrapping her arms around his neck. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek, before moving to his jaw line, before stopping at his neck.

"I see that headache is gone.." Derek grinned up at her.

"Well not to sound too teenager-y, but you're the perfect medicine for a headache."

Even just having her in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist was torture enough, without adding his wicked thoughts to the mix. Contact hurt, might even be fatal if it wasn't tended to., and yet he couldn't stop himself. Obsession or compulsion, he didn't know, but he did know that before this was over, she'd either end up in his bed . . . or one of them would bleed darkest red. He hoped for the bed part. She made him think bad thoughts simply by breathing. Taking her chin in his free hand, Derek had kissed her again - this time it was hard, passionate. Claire moaned against his mouth, her head shouting at her. She pulled away from his kiss for a breath and stared into his eyes. Was it wonder? Love?

She couldn't tell, and God help her she was too afraid to ask. Even she could be only so bold before self-preservation took over. Even she could be only so bold before her mind snapped. Then his lips were on hers again and she lost track of where her mind had been. He tasted her, stroked her tongue with his own. He nipped at her lips, pulling them softly between his teeth and flicked them with his tongue until she was breathless, her hands cupping his face as she gave her mouth willingly to him. She felt the loss of his mouth as he lifted his head, but he soon put those soft, warm lips to work kissing her cheek, nibbling at her earlobe, tracing a burning trail down her neck, his facial hair tickling her neck softly.

Every stroke of his tongue, every powerful pull of his lips sent a ripple of aching want coursing down to between her legs where it blossomed into pure, carnal heat. Her hips arched against his thigh, seeking out the pleasure she knew was waiting for her. She rocked her hips against his own, her mind giddy at the sound of his growl. She was teasing him. And then, in one swift movement, she was pinned beneath him. She had released the beast and now, she was going to pay for it. He removed her tank top and she removed his shirt with ease. He continued his assault on her body, kissing her neck and making his way down her chest until he reached her naval, where the ugly wound that was inflicted on her was still fresh, he tugged on the hem of her jeans, sliding them down her legs and tossing them wherever they landed. When he looked up at her from his place at her hips, the smile he gave her was wistful, just a little lift to his mouth.

He pulled her up, close to his body and she could feel the clasp of her bra giving in to his fingers as they worked to get the contraption off. It slid off with ease, down her off and into the pile that was quickly growing.

"We really shouldn't be doing this..." She whispered as he went back to working her neck. "Derek..."

"I heard you." He mumbled against her skin.

"And you don't care.."

She heard him sigh against her skin, his facial hair tickling her neck. But that was the best part - it told her that she could feel something other than hate. "After everything we've been through, why can't we have this moment?"

"I'm not complaining." She grinned up at him, her eyes ablaze. Desperate to touch him, Claire slid her own hand down to the front of his jeans, releasing the button and zipper with somewhat ease. She fumbled for a few seconds and then succeeded in grabbing the hot, satiny length of him. He was thick and heavy in her hand. Her thumb spread that moisture around the tiny cleft, down to the heavy ridge she ached to wrap her body around.

When his blue eyes lifted to his, everything disappeared. Their bodies dematerialized. The room they were in ceased to exist. Time became nothing. And in the void, in the wormhole, Derek's chest opened up sure as if he'd been shot, a piercing pain licking over his nerve endings. He knew then that there are many ways for a heart to break. Sometimes it's from the compression of responsibility and birthright and burden that just squeezed you until you couldn't breathe anymore. Even though your lungs were working just fine.

And sometimes it's age in the face of youth. Or sickness in the face of health. But sometimes it's just because you're looking into the eyes of your lover, and your gratitude for having them in your life overflows, because you showed them what was on the inside and they didn't run scared or turn away: they accepted you and loved you and held you in the midst of your passion or your fear, or your combination of both. They were damaged, but they always survived - no matter what.

Derek knew she had control of him - she could break him and he would be at her mercy.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: God, I love these two. ajsklfdjaksldf. I love writing these two when they're alone because all the layers of emotion that's hardened them seem to just fall away and they're normal. xD Reviews are welcome, as always! :)**


	19. Loves Embrace Pt 3

Daybreak was slowly peeking through the windows when Derek woke. He went to move, when something stirred on top of him. Raising an eyebrow, Derek watched as Claire snuggled closer against his bare chest, her hand resting against his stomach. A good look down, and he realized she was bare naked. And so was he. Memories of the night before came flooding back. Their night together had been uninterrupted, and it was the best thing he could have asked for, too.

He couldn't remember a time where nothing else mattered.

He attempted to move, but Claire wasn't having it.

"Trying to sneak out on me?"

"Never." Derek replied, an actual smile touching his lips. He leaned down and placed a kiss in her hair.

"Good." She rested her chin on his chest. "Because if you were, I'd have to hurt you."

"Oh really?"

Claire nodded, a soft smile taking over her lips.

Derek rolled his eyes. She was the center of his world, but she was also as stubborn as a brick wall that refused to move. Claire brought him out of his thoughts by swinging her legs over his waist, pinning him beneath her. She bent down, kissed him every so softly, a gleam in her eye. Derek didn't wonder what was in her head - he already knew.

Her fingers traced his arms all the way down to his wrists, her breasts planted against his chest. It was safe to say Derek had the best seat in the house.

"I have a temptation to just keep you here." She whispered, bringing his hands up to rest on her bare waist. His thumbs traced the softness of her waist. "But then again, I fear that they might be walking in any moment now.. wondering if we're still ali-"

Derek silenced her with his lips.

When he let go, Claire was surprised, her breathing heavy.

"See," he said playfully, and arched his eyebrows. "Admit it." He moved in. His mouth came so close to hers that she could practically feel it moving when he spoke.

"Admit what?" She put a little tease in her own voice, hoping she drove him crazy as he drove her.

"Admit that you like my kisses and yes to going out with me."

"Not that again, Derek." Claire rolled her eyes. He asked that last night after their first sex romp, while she was still recovering from the explosive orgasm that rocked her to the core.

"Come on, one date." Derek all but whined at her and she couldn't help but giggle at him. "After everything, one date isn't going to kill us." Derek leaned up and traced his kisses all over her body - attempting to get her to say yes by the only way he knew how: torture her.

"Derek... Derek, stop that." Claire tried to push him away, but was failing miserably.

Derek continued his onslaught, determined to get her to agree. His lips continued to trace her jaw line, down her neck and collarbone.

"Say yes."

"No,"

"Why not?"

"Because we still have ... one Alpha left." Claire whispered, shivering against him.

"Come on, say yes."

"No." Claire's eyes drifted closed.

Derek had grabbed her waist roughly, bringing her ass up and the next thing she knew, he was entering her again, his hot, satiny length of him filling her to the core. Claire gasped at the intrusion and snapped her eyes open, glaring playfully at Derek. "That's cheating."

Derek moved his hips and saw her fight a groan.

"This was a bad idea." Claire whispered.

"It was probably the smartest idea you've ever had." Derek replied, grinning up at her.

Their whole atmosphere at the moment had insta-love, the bane of their existence. Girl sees boy and falls in love. Immediately. Soul mate, breath stealing, toes curling, love after one conversation. Boy pushes girl away for some paranormal reason or another. Girl still loves boy. Boy finally admits love. And now they were here, wrapping in each other's bodies.

"I promised to keep you safe, and I'm going to keep my promise." Derek whispered against her lips.

Claire smiled and rocked her hips, satisfaction swelling in her at the sound of Derek's soulful moan. The next thing she knew was Derek on top of her, his hips pressing hard into her, his whole length bruising her from the inside out. It was strange how something good can come from something horrible. Claire nearly burst at the seams, her body caving into oblivion. Derek withdrew once, plunged again and her body betrayed her as it clenched around his shaft, Claire fighting the urge to scream. When she opened her eyes again, Derek was leaning over her, his face plastered in a smirk that she wanted to slap off his face.

"Okay." She held her hands up in defense. "Okay."

Derek's lips lifted from a smirk into a grin and she felt like she'd just signed her soul over to the Devil himself. Derek bent down and pressed his lips against hers, claiming her next words. Whatever her next words were going to be, she didn't really know. She forgot them the moment she signed her soul over to him.

"I stand by what I said. I wish I'd have stuck around. I wish I'd…been there for you."

She scoffed. "I'd have chased you away."

"A little something about me you might not know yet or you might have just forgotten after all these years…I don't run that easily. And you don't scare me." Derek grinned, capturing her lips again.

Her mind was blank and her heart and body ruled. And those? They were his property. Just like the rest of her. Oh…Jesus. She'd been kissed before, but never like this. There had been the guy who tried to swab her tonsils and the guy who seemed to be trying to draw blood with his teeth and the guy who did it just right, but didn't make her feel…_this_.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The last part of Love's Embrace, yay! Sorry this one is short... haven't had a lot of time to actually write and it's been hectic, so I wanted to get it to you guys regardless. Reviews are welcome and I hope you like it!**


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